The present invention relates generally to an adapter type fastener for use in retaining a windshield glass and related molding onto an automobile panel having an upstanding headed stud fixed thereto. Particularly, the invention is directed to an adapter for use with a button headed stud of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,539, the stud having a shank with one end welded or adhesively fixed to a panel and the head spaced from the panel.
In Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,539 there is disclosed a clip adapted to retain a structural member to a support member having a button extending from the surface of the support. The clip means disclosed has a body portion defining a U-shaped opening and a ramp portion extending from the body portion to an acuate angle and resiliently joined to the body portion within the U-shaped opening. The ramp portion was provided with a slot opening through one edge for receiving the shank of the button and a button seat adjacent the end of the ramp communicating with the slot.
In the above described construction the slot was restricted adjacent the opening to the button seat to cause the ramp portion to resiliently flex from the axis of the slot as the shank of the button was received therethrough. The button and clip when assembled, provided a structure wherein the button received on the button seat could not be removed simply by biasing the ramp portion toward the surface of the support.
While this structure in one application served to provide a novel means for retaining the molding attaching a windshield glass to an automobile panel, with the safety standards being put into effect by the automobile manufacturers, some autos were manufactured with socalled "pop out" windshields wherein the glass is to be dislodged from its position upon being struck with a predetermined force from the inside of the vehicle. These windshields are seated within a peripheral gasket of molded rubber rather than an adhesive such as polysulphides previously widely used. The trim molding which surrounds the glass of the windshield is retained in position by a series of buttons and adapters or clips, the buttons being fixed to the panel adjacent the windshield opening and the adapters being mounted on the button and retainably engaged with the marginal edges of the molding.
As discussed in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,368, tests made on the above described windshields tended to show that the force against the windshield sufficient to cause it to pop out, was in some cases sufficient to cause dislodgment of the above described clips.
In Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,368 therefore there was disclosed an adapter for attaching a molding member to the panel having a headed button upstanding from the panel surface wherein the slot formed in the adapter was provided with an arcuately shaped wall portion adjacent the button seat to cam the button into engagement with the seat during assembly. While the structure served to solve the problem of dislodgement of the clips under a prescribed force sufficient to pop out a windshield, other problems, particularly in the assembly of these clips onto the button headed studs, have often occurred.
If, in assembly, proper attention is not paid to insuring that the shank of the stud is properly seated in the adapter with the edge of the slot seat into abutment against the shank of the stud, there is a possibility of only partially assembling the adapter to the stud, and the possibility that the adapter could be dislodged from the stud during use. Thus, the assembly of the adapter onto the stud requires an L, or angular type motion to properly seat the adapter onto the button head stud.
In order to provide this L or angular motion special tools may be designed to impart bidirectional motion to the adapter clip. However, this becomes costly and, while not necessary in some applications, it may be necessary in others to insure reliability of all the adapters being assembled properly.
In addition to the expense of providing a special tool to produce this L shaped motion, the time involved in utilizing a special tool, or in insuring the proper seating of the adapter onto the stud, may increase the time necessary to perform the specific assembly operation.
The present invention therefore has an object to provide an adapter of the type previously disclosed for attaching a molding member or the like to a panel surface having a button headed stud upstanding therefrom, which is effective to retain the fastener onto the headed stud when subjected to sufficient force to cause a "pop out" windshield to become dislodged.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adapter of the type mentioned above which is installed on a headed stud in a linear direction and therefore may be driven on by a single blow with a hammer or other similar device.
A further object of the invention is to provide an adapter of the type discussed above which is simple to employ and capable of reliable assembly onto the studs, from part to part.